Cable Synergy???

A new marketing strategy from cable manufacturers is the concept of the "loom" meaning all cables from the same manufacturer providing a synergy that can't be achieved by mixing and matching. Does it make an audible difference? I don't know but I am skeptical because of the built-in bias of any cable manufacturer.

Wendell

..you're asking the same questions all of us ask at some point in our ever changing system's life.i agree with 'Xti16' regarding cables being the 'final tweak'..i have had many different combinations of cables in my system over the last 20 years. for the moment...my i/cs and speaker cables are from the same company and my pcs are from another...my current set-up is , by far, the best i have put together.. it is rare that anyone becomes permanently happy with his/her system without wondering how things could be improved..that's the journey we all are on...'the cable company' is a great place to start if you are interested in trying out other cables to see if ' the enemy of good is better'...i have auditioned many cables from paul at TCC' and found the whole experience to be superb...good luck

Question #1 Synergy is important but in my opinion but not necessarily to be dedicated to any 1 manufacturer (2 or 3 maybe after all you have to listen and pay for it). Once I tried all cables from the same manufacturer (Nordost) and wasn't impressed enough to spend the bucks. I will admit I didn't make a real serious comparison only because I didn't have the time and wasn't willing to replace everything all at once. Personally I am willing to compare again but this time I would have to try many different combinations to see where I would benefit the most. I did get the Nordost Frey speaker cable for my system. A minor but good tweak for me.

Question #2 1 brand of a cable may sound horrible in a certain system but fantastic on another.

Question #3 from Tpreaves Great advice - But I will add that cables should be the final tweak to your system. Generally those cable 'tweaks' are minor compared to most components in my experience. To me if there is any little difference I would like to change in your system that is when I look to cables in my opinion.

I don't know that I necessarily feel I 'need' to change anything. I have also invested a lot in my equipment, but have not really thought about my cables that much. There is a part of it that feels kind of technical and the more logical side of me says that I want some consistency (aka synergy) in my system to let the strengths come through.

I also don't know that I feel like it is immediate. With some things, I like to do fast upgrades. If I decide that the cabling is important, it is probably something I would change over time--especially since I would likely make a decent investment in the cables.

I hope that makes sense, and I certainly know what you mean about letting sleeping dogs lie--just not one of my strong suits.

Question #3...Does your system sound good to you in it's current configuration? If the answer is yes,don't worry about it.It sounds like you have done a lot to get where you are now.If you just want to keep trying/buying cables by all means,do so.Just a few thoughts from a shallow mind!!!